From outcast to a prominent presence in Mexican Football, Miguel Layun was forced to dispel his critics.

Layun was the subject of ridicule when he joined Las Aguilas de America back in 2010. The America fan base was not at all receptive to Layun’s arrival.

Fans criticized whether or not he merited a place on the squad.

Americanistas even went to the extent of creating a hashtag on social media that highlighted their feelings of disdain towards him. Standing with a wall in front of him Layun felt the antagonism he would have to overcome.

Layun began his career at Veracruz but left to Italy in 2009 to make history by becoming the first Mexican to play in the Serie A. Layun joined Italian side Atalanta on a short spell that only saw him make two appearances for the club. After failing to shine in Italy Layun returned to Mexico.

Scorn rained down on Layun from every direction. Layun had no choice but to prove his critics wrong on the pitch of the Azteca. It wasnt until the 2013 Apertura that Layun finally got a chance to pacify his critics by converting the final penalty that sealed the championship in America’s favor against a relentless Cruz Azul. That year lead to many new opprtunities for Layun as he competed in his first Gold Cup with El Tri and recieved his first call up to participate in World Cup qualifying. If that was not enough he was also a pivotal figure in the playoff against New Zealand that booked Mexico’s ticket to Brazil 2014.

The 25-year-old from Cordoba Mexico has emerged as an essential figure for El Tri. The interchangeable right/left back was a one man army in the friendly against the United States playing at a tempo one level above the rest. Grouped with the right set of players Layun will do serious damage to World Cup opposition. Layun deserves a spot in the starting eleven at Brazil as he has been the perfect solution for a position in El Tri that was still up in the air before he came along.

Layun is no longer an outcast. So dont blame it on Layun and give credit when credit is due.